By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist
If you ever thought Ed Burtner’s presence around the City of Winchester was going to disappear after retiring from four decades as city manager and mayor, just turn on the local WWKY radio station between 8 and 10 o’clock. That’s where you’ll find him hosting his popular interview program, “Mornings on Main,” along with the help of Joel Bennett and Jeff Ray, where Burtner took over for retired Kentucky Broadcasters Association Hall of Famer, Tim Smith.
That, or maybe you’ll find Burtner later in the day at one of his various “offices” at the local Dairy Queen, McDonalds, or other public place around town. That’s where he informally greets other Clark County citizens while doing preparation for his upcoming radio programs. The native of Virginia is firmly “at home” in Kentucky, and he has been for a long time.
Mornings on Main is a powerhouse of local information in town and throughout the area, touching on a long list of community interests such as schools, government, sports teams, religious life, and more.
Burtner, with his leading of the radio show is, in large part, bringing fruition to the hope he’s always had for better community communication. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran held that view while in government leadership and continues to hold it after his retirement from the mayorship, which occurred in December 2022. Having a thriving local radio station in Winchester is even more important these days, as the local newspaper, the Winchester Sun, became a twice-weekly publication after being a daily for many years. Fortunately, in recent years WWKY came back on air after Winchester lost it in 1995. It’s appealing studio building (housing AM 990/102.9 FM) is located today at 138 North Main.
“When I came into the mayor office in 2007, I made it known that I was interested in doing what we could to get a radio station in Clark County because radio had gone away,” said Burtner.
Most anyone listening to Mornings on Main can sense his deep respect for his community. Jeff Ray, the general manager of Gateway Radio Works, which owns WWKY, puts it this way: “Ed Burtner loves this town to the bone.”
Characteristically, Burtner — as demonstrated throughout his professional career — does his homework in pursuing show guests who help meet local needs. Recently, for example, he interviewed local high school golf, soccer, and volleyball coaches, along with a local person who was named “Lacrosse Official of the Year.” He also had a Winchester-based antique shop owner, a representative of the Clark Regional Medical Center, and the Winchester chief of police.
But there are many more. Burtner hosts 480 shows per year and has done over 750 to date. His desire, he maintains, is to “just let people tell their stories . . . because everyone has a story to tell.”
One topic and the guests for such invigorates him greatly, and he has made it a monthly series called “Voices of Recovery,” and it is intensely revealing. Guests for the series are recovering alcoholics and drug users, and “they tell their story in graphic detail,” said Burtner. “Some of the most courageous people will come on and say when they got started, what they use, and how they stopped.” He also praised the community as doing a “great job” in support of those dealing with substance abuse.
People around Clark County shared with me the importance of having WWKY as a part of their everyday lives. Mary Ann Brockwell, a retired educator, noted that “WWKY allows people of all ages and backgrounds access to a variety of information.” She praised Burtner for his visibility and dedication. “I think one would find it nearly impossible to find ten people in town who don’t know him! That says a lot . . . people may know a name, but to recognize him at local schools, city, or county festivities and all activities says a lot about a person’s devotion to duty.”
Mike “Bear” Rogers, 65, raised in Winchester, emphasized WWKY as being “vital” back in the 1970s, when communication technology was less advanced. He recalled the 1974 tornados that hit the area, and how his family was unaware of the emergency until the next day. Arising to attend school, the radio broadcasted that there would be no school—for the Rogers family, a shocker–because of a tornado hitting Winchester the day before. “We didn’t know anything about it . . . the skies looked normal that morning,” Rogers said.
The radio station is still very important today, he noted, calling it “depressing” when the Winchester Sun, in challenging times like so many other local papers, had to decrease publication to two days a week. Rogers praised Hays McMakin, owner of the parent company of WWKY, for bringing the station back on the air, saying “He’s brought back ‘community.’ It’s the best way to find out what’s going on in Winchester.”
Rick Beach, a resident of Winchester and a past seven-term member of the Winchester Board of Commissioners, lauded the station for having, as the local newspaper, “reporters and staff who live here, walk our streets, and understand the unique character and concerns of our community . . . and is a trusted source for news, education, and communication, offering coverage that larger media outlets—such as television networks, regional radio, and online platforms—simply can’t provide.”
Jeff Ray said there is a “specificity” about the news on local radio that larger news outlets lack, and it might even be used in extremely critical situations. He recounted a personal story of a farmer who was in dire need of a transplant to extend his life. He would need to wait for a potential donor — and act fast when he got the call of availability. Ray said that he put out a plea on radio station WKCA, Owingsville, to get in contact with the farmer because an organ was ready for him. “The ‘ol’ boy heard it on the tractor and started driving his way back to the house,” explained Ray. The man received the transplant.
“In this situation, it was local radio that saved a life,” said Ray.
WWKY is doing its share as a vibrant part of the daily lives of Clark Countians. And Ed Burtner, with his heartfelt involvement in the Mornings on Main program, is living out his personal dream to be a continuing, strong contributor to the welfare of his local citizens through fostering communication.